Settings

Open Settings by pressing Cmd+, (Command and comma) or by right-clicking the menu bar or Dock icon and selecting Settings.

General Settings

• Launch at login -- Start the app automatically when your Mac boots so a timer is always available.
• Window opacity -- Adjust the transparency of the timer window. A lower opacity lets you see content behind the timer, which is useful for overlaying the countdown on other work.
• Auto-start -- Optionally start the countdown automatically when you launch the app or change the interval. This saves you from needing to press the Start button each time.
• Prevent sleep -- Keep your Mac from sleeping while a countdown is active. This is important for long-running timers where you need the display to stay on.
• Resume after wake -- If your Mac goes to sleep during a countdown, the timer adjusts for the elapsed time and picks up where it should be when the Mac wakes.
• Persistent timer -- Quit and relaunch the app without losing your countdown progress. The timer picks up from where it left off.

Themes and Appearance

Smart Countdown Timer supports both light and dark themes. You can choose a specific theme or let the app follow your macOS system appearance automatically. You can also set a custom background image for the timer window.

Notifications

Click the Notifications tab in Settings to configure what happens when a countdown finishes:

• System notification -- Display a macOS notification when the timer reaches zero.
• Sound alert -- Play a built-in alarm sound when the countdown completes. Choose from several sounds (Glass, Xylo, Marimba, Digital, Ding) and adjust the volume. You can optionally loop the sound until you dismiss it.
• Dock bounce -- The Dock icon bounces to grab your attention.

You can enable any combination of these alert types, or use all three together.